Pekin LilacSyringa pekinensis

Spectacular flowers in shades of lilac, light purple, or lavender make this old-time lilac a garden favorite. The long-lasting flower clusters bloom in April or May and are framed with lush green foliage. Their nostalgic fragrance adds to the "coming of spring."

The Pekin lilac is an extremely hardy shrub and can be used as specimen, in a border, in a container or above-ground planter, near a deck or patio, as a street tree, in a sidewalk cutout, in a parking lot island, as a buffer strip or along a highway.

Wildlife Value

History/Lore

A native of northern China, it is also known as the Chinese lilac. There are 24 species of lilacs, two come from Europe and others from Asia. The oldest living lilacs in North America are believed to have been planted at the Governor Wentworth estate in Portsmouth, NH, around 1750.

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